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The Evolution of Bass Guitar Technology and Beyond...

#42
One "evolution" that has caught on fairly well is the fanned fret system, originally developed by Novax. While they're a mainstay on certain brands like Dingwall, they're starting to appear more and more on other brands. While I doubt they'll ever take a large share of the market, I do see them lasting for quite a while and having a smaller but consistent fanbase.
 
#43
Tmoney865 said:
LOL - all the comments from guys about Bergers have pics of themselves playing something else, and NOT the Berger.

Think edge of Horizon and beyond guys. Most of you are stuck here or somewhere in the past.

Kick it in gear. Are you a consumer or a futurist?
Click to expand...

Spoken like someone who doesn't believe that bass may be left in the dust by all the technology that's replacing real instruments...so much for stuck in the past...

And you may wish to speak for yourself rather than for us. Many of us look forward way more than looking back.
 
#44
Bryan,

That is what the interview article on him explains when he was Touring in Europe.

Perhaps the Art. is not there anymore.


JohK,

As for the past.

I am not going back there either.

People have GAS for a reason. They want more.

What is the "more" that they want?

And perhaps you are not one to ask, because you do not want "more" of anything.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
 
#45
Burning Skies,

I saw Bass Replaced by Synths and sequencers in the early 1990's.

But Tony Levin has well written about this and I do not need to comment other than "We're still here!"

And it is my Thread anyway.
 
#46
OK Fanned Frets

There is one thing.

So, Tunable Composites are not in the Future because Bassists are not looking for resilient materials.

and:

Lightwave does not have the versitility that the magnetic pickup does, so it is a failure toward modern technique.

So, that is it. ???

Nothing else.

OK then

Thanks all!
 
#47
Tmoney865 said:
Burning Skies,

I saw Bass Replaced by Synths and sequencers in the early 1990's.

But Tony Levin has well written about this and I do not need to comment other than "We're still here!"

And it is my Thread anyway.
Click to expand...

The minute you post it, it becomes 'our thread'. Otherwise you'll need your own one person message board.

Just because people still play it doesn't mean that its the future. And bass was being replaced much earlier than the 90's, its only become more and more popular as times have gone on.
 
#48
Another technology that didn't take off, but has the potential to do so in the future, is multiple bass emulations as found in the Line6 Variax basses. Those didn't take off that well, but better emulations could well drive that technology into future basses. Amp emulation technology is booming in high end effects and software plugins, so improved bass emulations could make the technology come about again.
 
#50
If what you're really trying to do is discuss The Future Of Bass, how about obsolescence? Once there's a decent plug in that can pedal root notes along with whatever drum and guitar tracks are fed into the computer, we're all toast. there will still be room for your Basslab dealership though, since they are lightweight. They will still be useful for videos and concerts, better to have a light bass if it's not going to be plugged in, easier to dance around/look cool/look tough with and not get tired.
 
#51
BurningSkies,

I got emails piling up from a guy who would take contention with you on the ownership thingy.

The observation about the 90's was there was a wall there by that time, which the Christian Music business was full of.

And I agree, Bass is back stronger than ever.



Bryan,
Yes! The perfection of advanced or new Tech does well make a difference to its marketability. The it gets to dig in and take root. Yet, emulations are still an action of looking at that which already exists.

Change in elements and essence of the Bass Guitar was what I was looking for.

One could say that the Active Electronics are about Emulations, because my guitars seem to be able to do anything that I have heard and liked before. But that Tech is here, so it is not something coming in the future, it is already here.

You got one with the fanned Frets, and onboard Emulations is close enough so I will say you hit a second possible Tech trend.
 
#52
Tmoney865 said:
OK Fanned Frets

There is one thing.

So, Tunable Composites are not in the Future because Bassists are not looking for resilient materials.
Wood is pretty dang resilient, and cheap, and beautiful

and:

Lightwave does not have the versitility that the magnetic pickup does, so it is a failure toward modern technique.
Does the lightwave have any benefits really? It always seemed gimmicky to me

So, that is it. ???

Nothing else.

OK then

Thanks all!
Click to expand...

Sorry to be so negative.

I like the Kahler system too, but it isn't that big a deal as far as bass history.

Also, are you threatening BurningSkies, or am I missing something?

The biggest problem here is probably the labeling of these as important to the bass's evolution.
 
#53
Necrotic,

We were already there. Those systems for composition and sequencing have come gone and some remain, but as BurningSkies pointed out Bass came back with a vengence.

The People wanted it.

As for the lightness of the materials of a Bass, you do not believe that the reduction of the weight of the insturment is any way wanted by players. OK


DerHoggz,
No address of futuristic materials or application. Sorry.
 
#54
Tmoney865 said:
Necrotic,

We were already there. Those systems for composition and sequencing have come gone and some remain, but as BurningSkies pointed out Bass came back with a vengence.

The People wanted it.

As for the lightness of the materials of a Bass, you do not believe that the reduction of the weight of the insturment is any way wanted by players. OK


DerHoggz,
No address of futuristic materials or application. Sorry.
Click to expand...

Futuristic materials are fine by me, just in the sense of this thread they should have had significant impact. In this sense I think Steinbergers deserve credit, since they were the first successfully marketed instrument of their kind, and were all around revolutionary.
 
#55
DerHoggz said:
Sorry to be so negative.

I like the Kahler system too, but it isn't that big a deal as far as bass history.

Also, are you threatening BurningSkies, or am I missing something?

The biggest problem here is probably the labeling of these as important to the bass's evolution.
Click to expand...

I suspect English as a second language.

Apparently the concept of TB being a "public" message board is confusing to some, especially when they find someone who doesn't agree with their viewpoint. I suspect we were supposed to come on in and say 'great job'! and offer a pat on the back.
 
#56
As for synth replacing bass,
I don't think it's going to happen. It's impossible to make a synthesizer that can truly emulate the expressiveness of an instrument like bass. There is a million different subtle ways you can make different types of sound on a bass, but a there's only one way to press a key on a keyboard, plus or minus velocity. Sure, in much popular music today that doesn't matter one bit, and most of that sort of music is in fact performed with synthesizers. But that's not the only type of music being made today, and others that are unsuited to synth are making a comeback. Bass as an instrument is very much alive, just as alive as guitar or drums or vocals for that matter, and I see no signs of decay outside of the fact that electronic music in general is very popular.

On a side note, I think Basslab is very, very cool. But it's too expensive to be accessible.
 
#60
I do not believe that I found any problem labeling the Basses I presented as important in the evolution of the nature and tone of the Instrument.

I came from DBV transitioned to BG, Did the 4 String thing and wanted to be on the 6 since 1984.

The things found on the BTB's I use now became my waypoints in listing the milestones that comprise the original list of Technological developments.

There was nothing new on the Bergers AT ALL so it did not make it. It was a "MeToo" product. If there was not an issue of tone, or the neck did not feel like a baseball bat, perhaps it would remain an influential instrument. But it is not.

After the Berger, Wood Instruments really started getting exotic.

Meanwhile, I still hear wish lists which include the Fender Jazz First and close second is the MM StingRay. The Precision started the Race we are all part of. It is the one that got the masses listening.

So I have no problem with the list. It was just an example anyway.

The Kahler comment was just a passing comment abouit how me being an idea guy gets flak for having ideas. On that one Victor vidicates me.

On the Digital thing, the MP3 completely vindicates me.
 

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